PUBLISHED : 31 Aug 2024 at 04:00
Bangkok will not be flooded because water levels in the capital and the weather are unlikely to conspire to produce conditions equal to or worse than those recorded before the 2011 disaster, said Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.
Speaking during a visit to people whose houses and farms have been flooded in Sukhothai yesterday, she stated that the water level was beginning to drop and that she wanted to concentrate on aiding local communities.
She said she had spoken to a lot of people on her visits to the flooded areas and become aware of their present difficulties.
“Things are beginning to improve. The water level is beginning to drop. Every time there is flooding, there is a lot of loss and suffering. Therefore, I want to concentrate on assisting the people,” she said.
When asked about the official reports of a mass of water flowing down from the North to the Central region and Bangkok, Ms Paetongtarn said that the upper dams could store adequate water to mitigate against floods further downstream.
“Bangkok won’t experience flooding. Additionally, no storms are predicted. So, Bangkok is safe,” she declared.
When asked if the overall water situation this year would be like the Big Flood in 2011, she confirmed that it was definitely not as frightening as it was when five separate storms in October 2011 caused widespread damage across the city.
But now it is predicted that there will be two storms or maybe none at all in the country, she said.
When asked if there had been any preparation for the possible increase in rainfall from September to October, the prime minister said there had been sufficient preparation.
She said the year’s rainfall would not be as high as in 2011.
Meanwhile, in Nakhon Phanom, in the northeastern region, authorities have declared Na Thom and Sri Songkhram districts as disaster zones after three major tributaries of the Mekong River burst their banks, flooding more than 20,000 rai of paddy fields in the two districts.
According to a source, the water level in the Mekong River rose to almost 11 metres yesterday, just one metre below the overflow level.
This caused three major tributaries of the Mekong River — the Nam Oun, Nam Songkhram and Nam Yam rivers — to overflow, sending a large volume of water to flood more than 20,000 rai of fields in Sri Songkhram and Na Thom districts.
Provincial authorities declared the two flooded districts as disaster zones yesterday.
All boats in those areas must be equipped with safety gear, and drivers have been told to exercise more caution.